Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Interplanetary communications systems are being developed in plans to colonize Mars. I first covered Google's InterPlanetary Internet Protocols in 2011, here. Delay-tolerant network protocols must cope with huge distances between our planet and a future Martian settlement. On 9 October 2015, NASA released its plan for a manned journey to Mars, including a stated need for IPFS development:

"Currently, Mars robotic rovers have
data rates around two million bits per second, using a relay, such as the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter. The ISS data rate is 300 million bits per second, two
orders of magnitude faster. Future human Mars missions may need up to a
billion bits per second at 1,000 times greater range than ISS, requiring laser
communications to reduce weight and power. In addition, disruption and
error-tolerant interplanetary networking and improved navigation capabilities
are required to ensure accurate trajectories and precision landing."

This networking requirement for space exploration will potentially establish a permanent Internet, which I have discussed - coming from other sectors - here. On 18 March 2016, The Daily Mail reported that NASA plans to develop nuclear-powered rockets to travel to Mars, following a similar statement from the Russians in January 2016. With a nuclear rocket, spacecraft could reach the Red Planet in six weeks. The only problem is finding the money.